


The Monkey's Curse

by call_me_caoimhe



Category: Doctor Who, The Mighty Boosh (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Curses, Destruction, Earth, End of the World, Evil, Gen, Girl - Freeform, Home, Invasion, Kid - Freeform, Little Girl - Freeform, Magic, Memories, Nabootique, Shaman - Freeform, Shop, TARDIS - Freeform, Xooberon, epidemic, sales, shamen, spell, stuffed animal, toy, trinket - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 19:56:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6343108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_caoimhe/pseuds/call_me_caoimhe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a careless mix-up at the Nabootique, a creepy toy monkey is sold to an innocent young girl, leading to the swift and massive spread of a terrible curse which could mean the irreversible end of Earth as we know it.</p><p>Can things be set right, or will it be too late to reverse the damage that's been inflicted?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Monkey's Curse

Howard Moon stared a bit as Vince Noir flounced into Nabootique, wearing a shimmering green jumpsuit with what must have been hundreds of tiny jingling bells incorporated into it.

Howard was more than used to the outlandish outfits, of course, having known Vince since childhood, and barely reacted to the fashion statement.

Vince beamed at him happily, giving a slight hop as he reached the counter, before his grin suddenly faltered as he beheld quite the sight indeed.

Howard shifted uncomfortably where he stood, as Vince cocked his head to the side with a look of shock and distaste, staring straight at him.

"What have you gone and done?" Vince asked in horror. "You look like a big naked rat, now."

Howard looked offended. "Gee, thank you very much, sir." He replied sarcastically, his spine stiffening. "For your information, I was in the middle of shaving when the phone rang and it had startled me. My hand jumped, and I accidentally shaved the center of my moustache."

Howard gave a sigh, touching the bare skin.

He didn't like being without his mustache... It felt wrong. Wrong, and a bit cold.

Vince chuckled at this, the mental picture in his mind making him laugh harder.

 

"It's not funny in the least." Howard snapped, crossing his arms and frowning sulkily. "Anyway, once that happened, I had no choice but to take the rest of it off or suffer with the reverse Hitler."

Howard leaned forward onto the counter, feeling embarrassed about the whole thing.

The phone call hadn't been worth answering, either, being a wrong number. Perhaps he'd have felt a smidgeon better had it been important.

Instead, he was now missing his mustache because of a misdialled booty call.

"Oh, come on, it is a little funny." Vince replied as he made an attempt to conceal his amusement, unable to stop looking at Howard's bare upper lip.

Howard ignored his friend, picking up a handheld antique mirror from a shelf and glancing at his reflection.

Regretfully, he had to admit that Vince was right. He did look a bit like a naked rat.

Howard sighed, as Naboo came from the back of the shop.

"You haven't noticed a small orange bottle with a white label about, have you?" He inquired hopefully, looking around for one in vain.

He'd only just procured the extremely rare and powerful potion last night, and already he'd misplaced it.

Naboo frowned. If he didn't find it so that he could deliver it to Dennis that evening, he would be in trouble. Big trouble.

And, the last thing he wanted was to be in front of the shaman council once again.

Especially since Saboo seemed to have it in for him lately.

Howard and Vince shook their heads, not having seen anything of the like.

Naboo sighed and let his arms fall to his sides, asking them to keep an eye open, before turning to go and search the upstairs for a third time.

But, just before he did, Naboo quickly double backed to look at Howard's face once more.

As he realised what had been different, Naboo gave him a disapproving look.

Naboo would have remarked on the bare upper lip, however he was far too anxious to locate that orange bottle and hastily left without uttering so much as a word.

Vince laughed again, stopping as Howard scowled miserably.

"Oh, relax, it'll grow back." Vince reassured him with a pat on the shoulder, still grinning. "You'll be back to looking like a sleazy college professor before you know it."

Howard did his best to look dignified. "Perhaps it was time for a change." He stated lightly, trying to sound confident. "Besides, it makes me look years younger. No one will be mistaking me for your science teacher now, sir."

Vince shook his head.

"There's never gonna be a time for that change, Howard. That mustache is a part of you, without it it's like you've lost an arm or something..." He explained, his voice much more serious now.

Initially, it had been funny, but Vince had to admit that the sight of Howard's nakedness was making him quite uncomfortable.

He couldn't recall the last time he'd seen Howard without his signature mocha.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Naboo's got some false mustaches in the back, under that box of Tahitian glass bongs." Vince suggested, turning to go and grab them for Howard to look over.

Howard pressed his thin lips together. "Yeah, no - I don't need some lip wig to complete my look. I'm fine with being totally clean-shaven, thank-you very much."

"Well, I'm not." Vince pressed, as a little girl walked in, the bell sounding as the door slowly opened.

 

A child in the shop was a strange sight; neither of them had ever seen anyone under the age of at least seventeen in the Nabootique before.

"Are you lost?" Howard asked gently, looking for a parent beyond the glass entrance door.

There didn't seem to be anyone following inside after her.

The girl shook her head, looking around at the stock with curious eyes, her short, brassy ginger curls falling into her eyes.

She must have been perhaps seven years old. Too young to be wandering around alone.

The girl longingly eyed a vintage toy monkey that sat on an upper shelf.

It had matted fur, hard plastic hands which held a half peeled banana, and a hideous plastic face painted with strangely bright colours that didn't suit it in the least. It was a bit creepy.

She pointed at it, asking to hold it, and Howard easily reached up and retrieved the thing for her.

"How much is she?" The girl asked, her voice shaped by a heavy Mandarin accent.

Howard had brought a few things out earlier, not having gotten around to pricing them yet.

The monkey had been in a protective case, which had been dusty to the point where it was almost disgusting.

Howard had tried cleaning the case, but the layers of filth had marred the plastic and it was difficult to see what was inside.

And, so, Howard had taken the toy out and placed it alongside the other new items on the emptiest shelf.

Vince looked down at the girl. She was obviously not from a well to do family, and he could appreciate that.

His lips curved into a bright smile. "Let's call it five euros, shall we?" He asked in his typically genial tone, not having a clue what the item might have been worth and hoping it wasn't some valuable antique or something.

Still, he'd make up the difference from his pay if need be. It'd be worth it to make a kid happy.

Vince did have a soft spot for children, even if he couldn't stand them much after a while.

Vince didn't seem to be wondering about the girl being alone, while Howard didn't like the lack of her supervision.

Children rarely roamed about in the city without at least a few other kids for company, though more often than not there was a supervising adult with them. Especially with the number of kids that had gone missing in the area lately.

This girl's parents must have been worried sick.

"Where are your parents?" Howard asked in a gentle voice, as she reached into the pocket of her floral print dress and took out six euros, holding out her hand to pay for her new toy.

Vince took the payment, giving her a euro back with the purchase, as the girl left Howard's question unanswered and went out the door.

Howard wanted to have stopped her, but wasn't sure how to go about it.

He didn't want to be branded a paedophile or anything like that.

"I don't think she liked you all that much, Howard." Vince stated, taking a white paper bag from his jacket pocket and popping a lemon jelly baby into his mouth, chewing it slowly.

 

 

 

Hours later, as they performed their closing duties, Howard and Vince were in the middle of a discussion about Albanian llamas, watermelon, and ramen noodles as Bollo wandered into the front of the shop.

"We still on for karaoke at the Purple Cow?" The ape asked, and Vince grinned widely.

"Yeah, of course." Came the response, and Bollo grunted his approval.

Naboo joined them not too long after Bollo had, having found the orange bottle and about to set out to deliver it to Dennis.

"Right, I'm off." Naboo announced, putting on his blue cape. "Bollo, you make sure to finish mixing that potion before midnight, else it'll be ruined."

Bollo nodded his understanding, and Naboo left by the front door.

He unfurled his flying carpet and began his long journey.

 

 

 

Howard hopefully looked over to Vince, then to Bollo. "Would you mind if I tagged along?"

Vince bit his lip hesitantly, crossing his long arms. "I don't think it would be quite your type of scene." He answered truthfully, knowing Howard's passion for jazz and the like.

Since the club he and Bollo were planning on attending was aimed more at electro and rock fans with a karaoke twist, they were pretty sure Howard wouldn't fit in.

But, Howard didn't want to be alone.

He'd recently been dumped, and was lonely. He was willing to put up with whatever auditory offerings might be in store.

"Please?" He asked very politely, pleading shamelessly. "Pretty please, with a cherry on top?"

Howard knew that without something to occupy his mind, that he'd end up dwelling on her. And, he couldn't deal with that just then.

Vince didn't want Howard cramping his style, but he knew that it wouldn't be right to leave his friend alone to mope.

Especially since Lester Corncrake was out of town for a few weeks. And, outside of Vince, Naboo, and Bollo, Lester was practically his only friend. If you could even call the old man such a thing.

 

"Oh, fine, then." Vince caved, shoving a hand into the waistband of his drainpipes.

Howard smiled, perking up. "Great! What shall I wear?"

Vince stifled a sigh as he considered Howard's wardrobe.

It was all about the same, really; dull and neutral.

"Something with a bit of zip." Vince advised, fully aware that Howard owned nothing that would be applicable to the situation ahead.

Howard held up a hand. "I've got just the thing." He stated with a toothy smile, sounding excited as he went to go and change.

Bollo gave Vince a tired look. "He's going to be like a stone around our necks." He complained grumpily, his hopes of having a great time becoming dashed.

"I could hardly tell him 'no', now could I?" Vince asked helplessly, brushing his fringe to the side with his fingertips. "Besides, maybe he'll surprise us."

Bollo made a derisive noise in his throat, as Howard dashed back in, wearing a cream and tan ensemble.

The most thrilling part of his entire outfit was his Hawaiian print bow tie.

Howard held his arms out, before turning around to proudly display his threads in their full glory.

It wasn't the most stunning combination they'd ever seen; an off-white short sleeved button down which had been unbuttoned enough to let just a few chest hairs peep out, and tan shorts that showcased the chicken legs... The ankle socks in the sandals were likely the most offensive bit, though Vince didn't say a word against the fashion abomination.

"I've been saving these for a special occasion, I suppose that tonight will do just fine." Howard explained, as Vince feigned being impressed.

"Nice." Vince lied convincingly, hating the stale blandness. He could think of at least a dozen ways to alter those clothes to create something worth wearing. "That bow tie is a definite statement. You'll be pulling girls left, right, and center, tonight."

Howard stood up straight, feeling pretty good. "You think so?" He asked, not really interested in chasing after women any time soon, but content to think that he was eye candy.

Vince cleared his throat. "Well, yeah, I mean, look at you!"

Bollo stared on silently, the sight of this ensemble clinching it for him.

Howard would not just be a third wheel. He'd be a badly dressed third wheel.

"So... When are we going, anyway?" Howard asked, rubbing his hands together and trying to refrain from sounding overeager.

Vince checked his watch, cocking his head to the left.

"Another five hours or so." Vince answered, consulting his silver pocketwatch he'd picked up from Top Shop the previous afternoon.

Howard frowned. "10:30?" He asked, thinking it a bit late.

Vince nodded. "Any earlier would just be silly. All of the important people arrive late, you know how it is."

Howard never had understood that sort of thing, but like a rock, he rolled with it. "10:30 it is."

 

 

 

The carpet ride had taken nearly six hours; it wouldn't have taken so long, but Naboo's favourite persian weave was a little off lately and there had been significant delay.

As much as it pained him to admit such a thing, he'd have to retire the carpet sooner rather than later.

That was a pity, as Naboo had recieved the carpet as a gift many years ago from a dear friend after becoming an apprentice shaman.

Naboo had to admit that the carpet was now more patches than anything, and that the magic woven into the few remaining original fibers was only just strong enough to keep him airborne. Still, it was among his very favourite possessions, and would never part with it.

 

As he landed smoothly in front of the council, Naboo stood up and went over to Dennis, the head shaman.

He reached into his satchel for the orange bottle, glancing at those gathered at the table.

He hadn't expected the full council to have been there, and as they all stared at him accusationally, Naboo's insides shrunk a little.

It was rarely a good thing for all of them to have been brought together like this, and as he would seem to be the last one to arrive, it was a fair bet that he was about to have his little arse handed to him.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Bollo muttered grimly, hanging and shaking his head.

"Yeah, you would." Naboo said under his breath, as Dennis took the bottle.

He'd lost count of how many times Bollo had announced such a thing, thinking that the number must have been in the hundred thousands by now.

The head shaman looked sombre as he watched Naboo, looking disappointed.

"Naboo..." He began in a tone to match his facial expression, hesitating a moment.

Naboo frowned in confusion, wondering what he was supposed to have done this time.

In fact, lately things had been rather calm; the most exciting thing that had happened in weeks was procuring and delivering the potion for Dennis.

And, yet, they were all obviously less than pleased with Naboo.

 

"It has come to my attention that a certain enchanted curio of the most evil variety has come into the possession of a mere girl. A curio obtained at your shoppe." Dennis stated sombrely, his ice blue eyes staring reflectively into Naboo's dark brown ones.

Naboo couldn't think what Dennis was on about, wondering how he'd come to such a conclusion.

"That's impossible; before I put anything up for sale in the shop, I check it carefully." Naboo defended himself. "Nothing like that would have been sold at the Nabootique."

It was true. Naboo scrutinised each and every item, especially since some of the things he ended up selling came from all sorts of places, including the legendary and deeply enchanted caverns of Pluto.

"Well, you've messed it up royally this time, tiny, because that's precisely what did happen." Saboo piped up in his low voice, looking surly. "Death and destruction have already begun to brew thanks to your blunder."

Naboo's dark eyes narrowed. "I tell you, I've done nothing." He maintained firmly, as Saboo let out a long sigh. "I'm innocent!"

Naboo's stomach began to tense, wondering how he was going to get out of this one.

"The item in question is a certain cursed toy monkey." Dennis explained patiently, clasping his hands in his lap as he sat behind the long black table. "The same one-of-a-kind stuffed animal that was made for you when we all celebrated my stag."

Naboo's heart sank, realising what must have happened.

Tony Harrison laughed heartily, remembering that specific day. "Oh, yeah, that was great!" He said loudly, his tentacles gesturing in the air. "Naboo was so blitzed he could barely stand, and while that stupid monkey was being made for him, he had to go and hurl on that gypsy's booth! Of course, she cursed it after that, but he had to go and keep the thing anyway, the complete twit."

"Well, it was fine so long as nobody touched it." Naboo shrugged. "After all, I did pay 115 euros for it, I wasn't about to leave it. Besides, I rather liked that monkey, with it's cute little face and all."

"Yes, right, well, the point is that that toy has been touched and now the gypsy's unremovable curse on the object has come to fruition." Dennis continued, hoping to relay the gravity of the situation. "Anyone who has physically made contact with it is at terrible risk."

 

Naboo swallowed.

He had kept that silly looking monkey in a plastic case, its own house if you will, on a shelf in the corridor behind the actual shoppe.

Naboo had been sure to warn both Howard and Vince not to ever touch it, not even the case.

After all, it wasn't exactly unlike the boys to go rooting through his stuff.

And, now, surprise, surprise - one of them had gone and done the thing he'd specifically told them not to.

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, knowing the full amount of trouble he was now in.

Naboo would count himself lucky to be able to return back to the shop any time soon.

"Howard or Vince must have sold it by mistake." Naboo explained tiredly, knowing this would be percieved only as a weak excuse. Those two really could be a handful. Sometimes he wondered why he even kept them on. "I can fix this, I'll get the monkey back and put things right."

Saboo scoffed indignantly. "It's not as simple as that, you plum goose." He replied, raising his brows in derision. "Removing the curse from anyone affected will take powerful magic. It'll take at least three of us to do it, if not more."

Naboo didn't like the sound of this.

He knew who often got sent out on errands and missions for the head shaman, and if Naboo was expected to work with Saboo... Well, he'd have to, of course, but that on its own would be punishment enough. The man was insufferable.

"It's true." Tony Harrison agreed, turning to the diminutive shaman. "That was no ordinary gypsy you've gone and pissed off; she's one of the strongest history has yet seen. She only does the toys as a hobby, a sort of whimsical sideline from her usual black magic, torture, and misery making."

Naboo began to worry as a realisation came over him; one or both of his employees must have touched the cursed object, and they could be affected.

The more they had handled it, the more the curse may have settled deeper into their bodies.

Naboo didn't know what it was that the curse might do, and as Howard and Vince were his friends, he was worried.

"I've got to go." Naboo suddenly told them as he reached into a robe pocket, prepared to use the very small amount of instant transport dust that he had left to travel back to the shoppe. "Look, I'll do whatever it takes to set things right, but I've got to go check on Howard and Vince to see if they've been cursed."

He shifted on his feet, preferring to get permission to leave beforehand. Trying to outrun the council on top of trying to save his friends would be a bit much to deal with, though he would if it came down to it. "If that's all right." He added, looking at Dennis with an urgent look on his delicate face.

Naboo had become quite close with the boys over the years, and they had become as family to the shaman. Howard and Vince meant much more to him than he'd ever admit, and if trying to save them meant going against the entire board of shamen then so be it. Naturally, he'd do his best to be granted leave before going to such a measure.

Dennis glanced down to the ground thoughtfully, and relented, much to Saboo's indignation ('Are you flipping kidding me right now?') "On one condition; you will work alongside Saboo, Tony Harrison, and myself, in order to put an end to whatever comes of that curio's curse."

Naboo easily agreed, nodding fervently. "Of course."

 

Under the ancient law, which had been amended within the past century, Naboo would have been put to death by being trampled by the terrifying blue fire bulls of the forest. He was very glad that this part of the law had been retired.

There would still be a penalty, naturally, however the mention of one was yet to come.

Saboo, of course, brought the subject up before Naboo had a chance to leave.

Dennis had looked uncomfortable. Naboo had been his favourite for centuries; this was no secret, despite his attempts to conceal said favouritism.

"Saboo is right." Dennis said, considering the moody shaman's words. "As punishment, I shall have to completely revoke your powers for at least six months."

Saboo gave a nod, seemingly satisfied with this.

Naboo's eyes widened. Compared to death, he was getting off with barely even a slap on the wrist.

Even so, Naboo had been in possession of his powers for so long that to be without them was like going without air.

And, he would know. He'd been without his powers once before, though it had been but brief. Those couple of days felt like years of agony; he could no longer fly his carpet, mix potions, use his crystal looking ball (or his pump up travel one), or anything of the like.

"The punishment will commence as soon as everything has been put right." Dennis decided, and Saboo's mouth dropped open at the unexplained delay. "Let us leave now."

With that, the shamen gathered together and Dennis conjured them to where the little girl lay sleeping soundly in her bed.

 

 

As Howard belted out a Whitney Houston tune with a beebop/scat twist, a half full glass of lager in hand, Vince looked pained.

In fact, most of the audience had the same look; Howard had a decent enough singing voice while sober, but while he was intoxicated was another matter altogether.

His voice wavered unappealingly as he closed his eyes in concentration, while Bollo covered his ears.

Once it was finally over, Vince stood up and took Howard's place.

Instead of choosing a track from the machine, Vince took out a CD and popped it into the optical drive, playing song number five.

Vince began grooving confidently, putting down wicked shapes as he sang his song 'Electro Boy'.

The audience adored it, and by the end, he may as well have been an official music star by the way they were reacting to his set.

"Thanks, yeah, thank-you!" Vince chuckled appreciatively, ejecting his disc as the audience applauded him and begged for more. "Honestly, thanks a lot, but that's it for now."

The audience let out a collective 'awww' of disappointment as Vince began to leave the stage.

He bit his lip, feeling the urge to continue. "Oh, okay, one more." Vince held up a finger, giving in and returning to center stage. "But, just one."

 

Vince popped the CD back in, and did another of his tunes.

He was having a right blast, and before he knew it, two more hours had slipped by.

After he finally left the stage, he returned to his friends to find Howard tied to his chair.

"He kept trying to cop a feel, so I tied him up." Bollo explained, not caring whether Vince approved or not.

"I already apologised... I get a bit handsy after a couple, you know that." Howard stated defensively, as Vince gave a shake of his head before untying his friend.

"Thank-you." Howard said gladly, getting to his feet and stretching widely.

With that the three of them headed out on the floor to shake their respective booties to the beat.

 

The shamen stood silently, knowing that it would be unlikely to be able to take the monkey from the little girl's clutches easily.

She would doubtless wake, her parents following suit after any screaming she might do.

They could handle that, though what she might be capable of with the monkey with her could be a different story altogether.

All that they knew was that the curse upon it was almost frighteningly powerful. What the cursed might be able to do, they didn't have the faintest.

All they had to go by was the warning which the gypsy had given with the toy - 'Evil will consume those who touch the monkey'.

Not the most elegant threat, to be sure, but one to be heeded.

This pretty little slip of a girl might now have turned into a dark monster of profound nightmares, a murderous machine with nothing left of what she once had been.

It was a distinct possibility that they would have to kill the child to end the curse, a deed none of them wanted to have to carry out.

Saboo stepped forward, stealthily creeping over to the dreaming lass, reaching for the toy with care.

The other shamen watched silently in the dim room, the streetlight filtering in through the gauzy drapes.

They could feel their stress levels spike as Saboo's gloved hands moved ever closer to the monkey, being slow and sure as he worked out the best way to extract the toy from the girl's embrace.

 

Saboo looked momentarily down to study the girl's face.

Good; she was still fast asleep, deep in a REM cycle. Perhaps she was a heavy enough sleeper that he could ever so gently sneak the item away without even causing her to stir.

As his long fingers grazed the cream-coloured fluff of the toy, the girl's eyes suddenly snapped wide open and bored into Saboo's own with such intensity that he became startled.

She let out not so much as a soft peep, her unnaturally wide gaze darting from Saboo to the rest of the group.

She looked outright possessed. Naboo blinked a little fearfully, feeling the magic surging from the small child.

She was incredibly dangerous, and they all knew it.

The air practically sizzled with the supernatural energy which emanated from the puny female vessel.

Saboo saw a chace and took it, shooting forward and managing a firm grip on the monkey's ear, strongly tugging on it to no avail.

He put all his effort into one big pull and yanked it away from her, being cautious to keep from touching the evil thing with any exposed skin.

 

The girl didn't react at all. It was as though she was completely empty inside, with nothing remaining of her true self.

Indeed, she was but a shell with the curse upon her; she didn't move, didn't make a sound, didn't seem to care that they were there at all. At least, for the moment.

Dennis made the motion for them to move back, and he stepped forward.

He made an attempt at a smile, not that the girl reacted.

After a few moments, she whipped her head around to Saboo and stepped over to him with frightening serenity.

He stayed where he stood, as she held her small hands out for the monkey.

Saboo glanced over to Dennis, who shook his head.

"Yeah, nope, sorry, kiddo." Saboo told her, and her lips turned down viciously.

She clenched her fists tightly, fingernails digging sharply into her palms, as her calm facade receded and the swirling rage inside her began to surface.

Saboo's face crinkled, developing a heavy ache in his stomach before he was hit with a rush of red-hot pain that flooded his entire being.

He crumpled helplessly to the floor, and the child angrily ripped her possession from his weak grasp as the others looked on in fear.

 

Saboo became unconscious, and whether or not he was still breathing they did not know.

Naboo reached into his pocket, an idea forming in his mind as his bejewled fingers wrapped around the small pouch of transport dust and he opened it inside his pocket.

He closed his eyes, wondering if he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life, before lunging swiftly enough to catch the girl by surprise and managing to take the toy.

Naboo had been very careful to tuck his hand inside his sleeve so as not to touch the cursed item.

"Makallu ahklai muh!" Naboo intoned lowly, flamboyantly tossing the shimmering golden dust into the air above him and instantly finding himself in the place he felt safest beyond the shop - the place where he was born; Xooberon.

 

It was nearly midnight and Howard was gyrating wildly in the direct center of the dance floor, people making a wide gap around him as Vince and Bollo acted as though they'd never before seen him in their lives.

"That is embarrassing, that is." Vince grumbled as Howard attempted a feeble breakdancing move while a group of hot birds watched, giggling in amusement.

Of course, Howard botched things and simply ended up tripping himself and stumbling into a tall and burly clubgoer in the crowd.

"Oi, watch it, mate!" Came the annoyed response, and Howard muttered an awkward apology before going back to his dancing.

Bollo grunted in agreement, as Vince gave a nod and a massive grin to a particularly beautiful ginger girl across the way.

She glanced down at her feet, blushing, too shy to make a move.

Vince knew he had her in the palm of his hand.

"See you later." He told Bollo, who was in the middle of downing the last of a portion of vodka and blackcurrant.

 

As he made his way past Howard, he felt something sort of, well, static-y but in a really powerful and odd sense.

He shrugged, and continued to the socially awkward girl, who was trying to muster the nerve to even meet Vince.

He was about to say hello, when he heard the burly man Howard had bothered earlier let out a yelp of pain due to a swift elbow to the sternum.

Burly, reasonably upset, punched Howard straight on the jaw.

Vince had looked over as the crowd began watching the start of what promised to be a good fight, some choosing sides as the scuffle amped up.

Howard had come back at Burly full-on with a ferocity that Vince had seen only once before, at a time they had both agreed never to speak of again.

Burly went down after Howard had landed a heavy blow to the man's nose, breaking it badly.

Blood streamed down the big guy's face, tears clouding his vision as swelling set in.

Howard viciously brought the man to his knees, cruelly assaulting him further.

This wasn't at all like Howard, and out of concern, Vince rushed over and tried to break things up as Howard continued attacking the now cowering bloke.

"Stop, Howard! Stop!" Vince cried out in shock, as Burly sobbed in a ball on the floor.

Howard slowly obeyed, covered in sweat, his gaze gradually turning to Vince.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" Vince asked, thoroughly unsettled.

The usual jazzy sparkle in Howard's eyes had been replaced by a frigid darkness which made Vince cringe.

Howard snorted, and stalked away, leaving the club with a heavy air of something dangerous and creepy about him.

 

 

The seemingly endless sands of Xooberon sparkled beneath the hot summer suns, as Naboo navigated his way to his old home.

Transport dust can be traced to an extent, with the right skills and such, and Naboo hadn't wanted to make finding him an easy feat.

So, he had chosen a spot close enough to his cave, but far enough into the middle of nowhere that he felt relatively safe.

It had been such a long time since he'd been there, and the distinct feeling of Xooberon's sunlight made him recall childhood memories of dashing about with the other children and making mischief.

He had been a rather rambunctious boy, often leading the others into all sorts of impish trouble.

Naboo couldn't help but smile as he recalled the time he had stumbled upon a patch of green mushrooms growing on a massively tall tree.

Curious and hungry, he had tasted one. It had seemed all right.

The other kids, having been playing for hours, had also been experiencing hunger pangs, and they had all eaten of the fungi. Naboo still wasn't entirely certain what had happened that afternoon, but what he could remember was of a serene feeling of soaring high up in the sky...

And, that had been his first foray into the world of drugs.

 

 

 

After something of a long-ish trek, he'd reached his cave feeling tired, noting no signs of being followed.

He had left no tracks behind, having invoked a spell at the beginning of his journey which had instantly wiped any evidence of his travels as he went along.

Naboo unlocked the secret door with the intonation of an enchantment, and entered.

Everything was covered in years of dust, so much that some things were practically unrecognisable.

Fortunately, Naboo remembered where most things were.

He took the monkey he'd been hauling around and stuffed it inside an old wool bag, before opening a spellbook from one of his numerous bookshelves.

Naboo flipped through it, looking for a little something to cloak the bag's contents from detection.

It took a short while, but he found a fitting spell; Naboo performed the ritual, and then placed the bag in one of his many closets.

Then, he went to search for more transport dust so that he could locate Vince and Howard, hoping that they were all right.

Naboo would much rather have laid down, even right there on the dirty floor, and slept; he had already gone nearly thirty hours without sleep, and with this added drama, he was exhausted.

Still, there wasn't time for such a thing as rest, not when those whom he loved could be in great peril.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the shamen had striven on removing the powerful curse from the child.

The girl's parents had instantaneously awoken after the first attempt had evoked a shrill scream from the child, causing them to burst into her room in fright.

The mother had been fully prepared to attack them tooth and nail, while the father merely froze on the spot at the sight of the intruders.

Dennis had easily entranced them to fall into a sudden sleep and they fell into heaps on the carpet, while Saboo and two others made a formidable secondary attempt.

This also proved to be fruitless.

Incantations, ancient spells, counter-curse attacks... Nothing was working and it was beginning to look quite grim indeed.

If they couldn't fix this, then who knows what might happen.

Curses like this tended to be weak in the beginning, growing stronger over time.

This was nothing compared to what it would likely become, and they were already struggling more than expected. If it grew stronger, then entire worlds could be lost by the end.

By this point, the child was retaliating as she had felt a hint of pain and had brutally killed Hazel, a sorceress who had joined their ranks more recently.

 

The child was about to strike again, baring her teeth and snarling in a feral manner.

There was terribly little time left.

Not sure what he was thinking, but feeling desperate, Tony Harrison squirmed his way close to the child's leg and sank his sharp teeth into the soft skin.

The child let out a disturbing shriek of pain while her face contorted in agony, howling as Tony kept his unusually strong jaws locked on the limb.

Before she could do anything else, Saboo struck her hard on the back of the neck, rendering her unconscious.

He seemed impressed that such an action had worked, pulling his lips down in a pleasantly suprised sort of frown.

"Nicely done, Tony." Saboo congratulated, and Tony released the leg, a trace of blood on his teeth and lips.

Tony spat on the ground, the tang of blood churning his delicate stomachs. "Right back at you."

Dennis looked down at the child's form.

They had tried virtually everything they could think of, and nothing had worked.

"There's nothing else for it; we'll have to keep the girl confined to the cage until we can find a way to lift the curse." The head shaman's mind was working away. "And, we will have to alter the parent's memories, make them believe their daughter is away at boarding school or something."

Saboo nodded, kneeling over the parents and mumbling strange words which began twisting the memories of the parents, as Dennis carefully picked up the limp girl.

 

Of course, both Tony Harrison and Saboo had been directly exposed to the curse, and only time would tell as to what would happen to them.

With the girl in tow and the parents' minds altered, they had all gathered together, returning to the secret planet of the shamen.

 

With a toss of the dust, Naboo disappeared from his old home and reappeared in the shop.

It was dark.

"Vince? ... Howard?" He tried hopefully, heading to their room. It was empty. "Bollo?" He called, thinking that since he'd given the ape specific instructions to keep mixing the potion, that he'd be there.

Naboo found out that Bollo had disobeyed, and that the potion sitting in his cauldron was now a disgusting tarry mess. Honestly, perhaps he ought to upgrade and get a new familiar after all...

The Nabootique was vacant.

Naboo frowned, and rushed to his room, opening the cupboard that held his most important books and sought a spell which would permit him to hone in on the boys.

Within a few minutes, he'd found just the thing, and put the incantation to use.

Unfortunately, the boys weren't together, which complicated things a bit. But, Naboo had brought plenty of dust, which might have proven to be a lucky thing indeed.

After all, the girl might be chasing him. Who knew how far and how often he'd be forced to run. It wasn't as though he could fight against her alone and be victorious.

Letting out a breath, Naboo tossed the dust.

 

 

 

Vince had done his utmost to keep up with Howard, who was moving at an incredible pace.

He wondered if Howard had taken something. That had to be the only explanation; Howard was acting far too strange, much different than anything Vince had seen before.

Bollo was at Vince's side, his asthma making it all a bit more challenging.

"Maybe we let him work it out of his system alone." Bollo puffed, stopping in his tracks and taking a dose of his emergency inhaler.

Vince looked worried. "We can't do that, you saw what Howard did back there in the club. He's gone mental! Who knows what he might do!"

Bollo agreed, but couldn't see what they could do about it.

"True, but we've lost him. Not much we can do now." The ape stated, as Vince fought to decide what to do.

 

He could call the police, but that would probably get Howard into trouble. But, at least then his friend would be safe.

Vince doubted that Howard would ever do anything to hurt him, and thought that he could help Howard through whatever he might be experiencing. He'd had a few pretty bad trips in the past, after all.

Vince could continue trying to track Howard down, and do his best to talk him back to the shop. That was if he could catch up.

Or, he could do as Bollo had suggested and leave Howard to his own devices and hope everything would be all right.

Then again, Naboo might be back and they could try him for some help.

Vince took a deep breath, then licked his lips as he considered things.

"Maybe you're right." He admitted resignedly to Bollo, wishing he could do more, but trying to be realistic. "Let's head home."

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Howard was wreaking havoc in a 24 hour department store downtown.

The abject fury that he'd felt before had mainly abated, not that he was himself even then.

There weren't many people there; he was mainly fiddling about with things and causing general mischief; playing with the keyboards and the drums in the instrument section, smashing wine glasses on the floor and giggling, trying on as many hats as he could, pushing shopping trolleys down the escalator... Stupid stuff, really, but he was enjoying it.

A small punk in her late twenties took notice, and could get behind what he was doing. She even joined in.

Howard hadn't paid her any mind at first, but soon enough she had caught his eye.

He glared at her. She glared back.

Howard advanced, gathering his height and making himself as big as he could.

She stood her ground, refusing to be threatened in the least. Besides, she felt confident she could kick his arse should it come down to that.

Howard stepped close to her, staring down into her grey kohl-lined eyes, his jaw set.

"You want somethin'?" The punk, who went by the name of 'Kip' demanded softly, her gentle voice contrasting harshly against her appearance.

Howard remained silent, as he had since the incident in the club, and bent his head down.

He pressed his forehead against hers, and she squinted back at him despite enjoying the closeness.

 

There was something about him that she liked, and since he seemed to be heading in that direction anyway, she went up on her toes and pressed her lips against his.

Howard had been about to pick her up and toss her out of his way, but that thought promptly exited his mind as their mouths made contact.

Kip broke the kiss, and Howard greedily tried to kiss her again, but she backed away playfully.

Howard felt a surge of heat flow through him, and he came toward her as five security guards approached them with caution.

Kip bit her upper lip, her sinking feeling overtaking her. "Oh, no, I ain't goin' back to jail..." She muttered under her breath, looking for a way out.

Howard cocked his head, her uneasiness palpable. He didn't like it.

And, he wanted it to stop. Howard rushed the guards, knocking two of them to the ground in one shot, and with a nasty punch to the forehead another one went down.

One of the remaining two ran off, and the other had been placing a call to the police when Howard took the phone and dropped it.

He stepped on the mobile, crushing it satisfyingly, before giving him a good shove which sent him flying into a flashy perfume display.

Numerous bottles shattered on the black and white tiles, the overwhelming stench of fragrances filling the air.

With that, Howard grabbed Kip's hand and lead her away from the scene.

 

 

 

"Shit, Vince, don't you ever watch where you're going?" Naboo groaned after Vince had knocked him to the ground like some clumsy moose.

"Sorry, Naboo." Vince apologised, helping the smaller man to his feet. "In all fairness, it is dark and it can be pretty tough to see around corners sometimes."

"Whatever. Where's Howard?" Naboo asked hurriedly, seeing that Vince and Bollo seemed perfectly fine.

Vince shrugged. "No idea." He answered, wanting to know the answer to that question himself. "He picked a fight with this buff guy and whaled on him, before ducking out into the night. I mean, he was off his nut, totally violent."

Naboo pressed his lips together. "Right, anything else?" He asked, wanting to get a clear picture as to what he was up against.

"Isn't that enough?" Vince asked incredulously.

"I asked if there was anything else." Naboo pressed, his tone less easy-going than usual.

"What's going on, Naboo?" Vince asked tentatively, as Bollo brought up his 'bad feeling' about the situation.

"You know that monkey that was sold earlier?" Naboo asked, and Vince nodded.

"Yeah, that was a neat little thing. If someone hadn't bought it, I'd have taken it myself. I could've customised it a bit, made him into a little monkey mod." Vince replied, sounding a touch regretful.

Naboo kept from rolling his eyes, but only just. "Well, it's cursed. Of course, one of you idiots had to go touching it. And, not only that, but sell it and all!" Naboo sounded exasperated. "I made it clear that you guys were to leave that thing alone... Honestly, the pair of you are always bollocking something up."

Vince felt bad. "I'm sorry, Naboo, we forgot." He apologised, not that there was much of anything else he could do. "... Wait a minute, 'cursed', so that means Howard -"

"Obviously." Naboo cut him off, looking around for signs of anyone in the shadows. "I'll go find Howard. You get back to the shop and stay there. Bollo, you make sure he does exactly that."

Vince felt a little offended at being treated like a child, and opened his mouth to object, when Naboo pointed at him.

"And, don't touch any more of my things." Naboo added sombrely, and Vince knew better than to say anything else.

 

 

 

Naboo had appeared within mere feet of Howard and Kip, who were playfighting intensely in a dark secluded alley, giggling and shrieking like a couple of maniacs.  If the police hadn't been called about it already, chances are they would be soon.

He felt the curse upon Howard. "Come on, let's head back, eh?" Naboo tried cautiously, testing out a bit of eye contact.

Howard sneered. Naboo saw little of Howard left inside those tiny eyes.

He hadn't been quick enough, and the curse was far too strong for Naboo to remove alone.

Naboo sent out a telepathic signal to the shamen council, relaying his precise location and the state of Howard.

It was then that the woman came forward, a vague but steadily strengthening vibe of the curse emanating from her.

"Terrific." Naboo grumbled, holding his hands up at them, palms out.

He would stay only as long as it was safe; hopefully backup would arrive before he had to zap out of there.

Who knows how many people were already infected? He had to keep the curse from spreading as much as he could.

"Come on... Come on..." Naboo muttered, wondering why it was taking so long for someone to at least send him a telepathic message back if not arrive to help.

The woman, Kip, was about to attack him when Naboo chose to get out of there and to the shamen.

 

 

 

"You've got to be kidding me." Naboo stated in disbelief.

The shamen were having tea, the still sleeping child safely under lock and key.

"Didn't any of you get my message?" Naboo asked, thinking it impossible for them to have missed, and the shamen looked from one to the other.

Shrugs came from nearly all of them.

"What did I tell you?" Tony Harrison asked the board, and they looked sheepish. "I told them what you'd said, but they wouldn't listen to me."

Saboo sighed. "It's not as though this is the first time you've heard such things, Tony, how could we know it was for real this time?"

Tony scoffed. "Right, yeah, right, that's fair, but I was off my tits then, wasn't I?" He pointed out. "I'm 100% sober right now, you should've listened to me."

Naboo felt frustrated. "Look, Howard's been affected by the curse and he's spread it to at least one other person, we've got to do something before it becomes an epidemic."

Dennis' brows knit together. The news that the curse was able to be spread without the monkey was a surprise.

"Naboo is right, we must act with haste." Dennis stood up, abandoning his cup of overly sweet tea.

He motioned for the rest to get up. "Let us join hands." He commanded, and the shamen did. "Naboo, take us to the cursed."

Naboo obliged, and took them to the now vacant alley.

 

The group looked around.

Naboo raised his arms in the air, letting them fall to his sides. "You couldn't have showed up five minutes ago when I send out the call?"

"Maybe next time you'll listen to me." Tony Harrison told them all with an air of importance.

Dennis shushed him, trying to sense Howard and Kip.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on the faint whisper of evil he could just make out.

Dennis began walking, following it. The rest of the shamen followed silently, Saboo resigning himself to carrying Tony Harrison.

 

 

 

Vince was feeling restless - he'd had far too much sugar and was revved up, plus the excitement from earlier hadn't helped.

There wasn't much to do at the shop.

"Just go to bed." Bollo suggested, but Vince couldn't fathom the idea.

"Can't, I'm too wired." Vince replied, suddenly getting an idea. "I know, let's make pizza!"

Bollo raised his brows in consideration. He was hungry... "Sounds good, how about ham and pineapple?"

Vince pulled a face. "You know how I feel about pineapple on pizza, Bollo." He stated in distaste.

Bollo's shoulders sagged. Pineapple was his favourite topping.

"Okay, so we put pineapple on your half, then." Vince decided, and Bollo perked up.

"Right, you get the stuff out of the pantry, I'll gather the dishes." Vince told the gorilla, and he headed to the kitchen.

 

 

 

Dennis had led them straight to Howard and Kip, who were crashing a house party and causing a ruckus.

There were at least a hundred and fifty people in the dwelling, and the likelihood of the curse spreading like wildfire was high.

"I don't like this, we shouldn't go in." Saboo piped up, Tony nestled all safe and warm in the arms that held him.

"We must try, Saboo." Dennis said, continuing on toward the house.

Naboo wasn't big on the idea either, and not only because of the risk of becoming cursed.

Crowds could be quite the challenge for someone of his height, a mere 5'1, and Naboo wasn't overly big on becoming part of any such social throng.

But, the other shamen were with him, which ought to make things a bit easier.

 

Inside the house, it was a circus; music so loud that it was distorted as it flowed out of the speakers, people hopped up on anything and everything, and unabashed sexual deviancy running rampant.

The shamen kept together at first, before spreading out to find Howard and Kip.

They searched the sea of faces, some of which returned their quick glances with filthy looks.

It was ten minutes before Tony Harrison spotted Howard mere seconds before Saboo, and they sent out telepathic messages to the others.

The plan they'd come up with on the fly had been to surround the cursed before they infected anyone else and then transport them back and put them in the cage with the girl.

As they closed in on the pair, the air began to change; they were breathing in the thickening evil, and it was practically suffocating.

They were too late.

The curse was spreading faster than they could gauge.

There was little else to do but get out before they, too, became affected.

Neither Saboo nore Tony Harrison had showed any signs of being cursed, though that didn't mean much - whether they were immune as shamen, they didn't know.

Naturally, none of them wanted to take that risk.

 

 

 

As he pizza was placed into the oven, Vince's stomach rumbled emptily.

They went and turned the telly on, a breaking news bulletin splashing onto the screen.

' - five people are dead after chaos broke out at a house party fueled by drugs and alcohol.' The young reporter drawled out, her accent muddled Texan and Londoner mixed with a smattering of something indistinguishable.

As she went on, they could just make Howard out in the background, setting fire to the house with a small group of others.

Many of the people were brutally fighting, anger and cruelty washing over them all.

Vince's mouth hung open, wondering whether even Naboo could help with this.

"Do you think maybe it's viral?" Vince asked, sounding worried as another idea struck him. "What if we caught something from Howard and it's only a matter of time before we lose our minds?"

Bollo waved a hairy hand. "We're fine." He answered dismissively, thinking that if something was going to happen, it would've begun already.

"I don't know, I feel a bit weird..." Vince said, his eyes widening.

Bollo looked at him. "You did have that seven year old packet of twiglets..." He reminded. "And, that salad for lunch."

Vince chuckled. "Oh, yeah, that's probably it." He agreed, before his face turned serious again. "What are we gonna do about Howard? I mean, Naboo said he was going to take care of things, but it doesn't look like that's working. We're going to have to step up to the plate."

Bollo sniffed the air. "Pizza's done."

 

 

 

Having narrowly escaped, the shamen discussed their best possible next course of action.

With the speed at which the curse was spreading, the entire earth's population would be doomed unless they managed to destroy it.

 

"What if we tracked down the gypsy?" Tony Harrison asked from his spot on the long table, rubbing his nose with a tentacle.

Dennis shook his head. "I doubt that would be possible; gypsies generally prefer not to have their whereabouts known. Tracking her down would be a true feat indeed."

Naboo had a feeling that he knew someone that could help. Someone that owed him a favour.

They'd done what they could, but the situation was beyond their control.

Naboo shook his head, having wanted to save the favour for something else, but knowing that this was the time to call it in.

Saboo glared down at him, putting the blame square on his shoulders.

"Well done, Naboo, you've gone and doomed the human race." He huffed, a surly edge to his voice as he applauded sarcastically.

Naboo frowned, having already gone over what had happened and how none of this was his fault.

"How do you propose to fix this?" Saboo demanded, his patience waning.

Dennis raised a hand. "There's little use in losing our heads, we need to keep calm and maintain control." He told Saboo, who bit his tongue.

"I need a moment." Naboo stated, pinching the bridge of his nose, and Dennis nodded.

 

He walked off into the trees, far enough that he would not be disrupted or seen.

Naboo closed his eyes, focusing solely on a single word in his mind - 'Doctor'.

He stood there, concentrating with all his might, waiting for what seemed like a long time.

Nothing happened.

Naboo swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat.

This had been his final idea, and with it seemingly having failed, Naboo began feeling hopeless.

He kicked at a stone, missing it, and began walking back to the clearing to the rest of the shamen when he heard it - that familiar 'vwooshing' sound that he would never be able to forget.

 

A blue police box appeared between two ancient trees, and the doors opened up to reveal an unfamiliar face.

Naboo looked momentarily confused, before he made the connection.

The Doctor had regenerated - something that Naboo had known was possible, but had still caught him off guard.

"Did someone order a doctor?" The man in the blue box asked, dressed in an older man's clothes and wearing suspenders and a bow tie.

Naboo smiled. "Am I glad to see you." He greeted, coming towards the Doctor. "I need your help."

The Doctor clapped him on the back, walking into the TARDIS with Naboo.

 

Naboo looked around. "You've redecorated, I see." He said a little judgmentally.

The Doctor nodded. "Needed a change, you know how it is. Do you like it?"

Naboo crinkled his nose. "Not really." He answered, preferring the lovely golden interior to this gloomy darker one.

"Everyone's a critic." The Doctor remarked, before rubbing his hands together. "Now, what can I help you with?"

Naboo explained what had happened, and how earth was in danger. After all, it wasn't only the people at risk - it could very well spread to the animals, even the plants...

The Doctor listened intently, milling things over as he did.

"I can't say that I have any experiences with gypsies... Could be interesting." He stated upon the end of Naboo's tale.

"So, you'll help?" Naboo asked, adjusting his turban.

"Of course. I am in your debt, after all." The Doctor told him, heading to the console. "If it weren't for you, Martha would have been killed by that Saratachtian."

Naboo was glad to hear the confirmation. "How is Martha?" He asked, having liked her quite a bit. Not that she had returned his feelings; she was too busy mooning over the Doctor's tenth incarnation for that.

"Fine, good - she's become a bit of a rogue fighter alongside someone else that I used to know. Doing well, last I heard." The Doctor answered, sounding a bit wistful.

 

He hated goodbyes, and as time went on they weren't becoming any easier. He still missed Martha. Missed all his past companions, including Naboo.

Naboo had been a companion to the Doctor for quite some time, before he'd left Xooberon initially after the King had charged him with an important task.

"So, who're you traveling with now?" Naboo asked, as the Doctor flicked a few switches and Naboo grabbed hold of the console as the engine began revving.

"Nobody." The Doctor replied dryly, as the TARDIS began hurtling through space.

 

 

 

Shoreditch was riddled with the curse by now, with few people unscathed.

Vince and Bollo had remained inside as Naboo had told them to, the rioting outside having become rather unsettling.

The Nabootique had an unbreakable charm on it to protect it and its inhabitants from harm; the cursed passed by without paying it any mind, while taking out their rage on other buildings and each other.

The power had gone out, and they sat in the den, having lit candles for a bit of light.

Even Vince was quiet, having found himself with nothing to say for what might have been the first time in his life.

The noise outside from the mob was horrible; the screaming and shouting, the sound of breaking glass and small explosions, the odd fire in the streets...

 

At first, they had thought that the shop would soon end up besieged.

Until Bollo had remembered about the protective charm on the shop, and they could relax.

Still, knowing that Howard and Naboo were out there somewhere... It put them on the edge.

If only Howard hadn't brought out that stupid toy monkey, everything would have been fine.

 

Suddenly, they both heard an odd sound, which preceeded a blue police box appearing in the den beside the couch.

Vince and Bollo stared at it in curiosity.

The doors swung open, and Naboo gestured for them to come inside.

Bollo and Vince walked in, looking about at their new surroundings.

Vince's eyes bugged. "No way..." He muttered, rushing back out and staring in astonishment.

"Get in here, will ya?" Naboo asked, hands on his hips.

"That is well brilliant!" Vince said in awe, nearly stumbling over his own feet as the complexity of the blue box's paradox bathed his mind.

Bollo had already seen so much in his life as Naboo's familiar that this wasn't all that surprising to him.

 

The Doctor closed the door behind them, turning to greet Vince.

"I'm the Doctor, you must be Vince." He smiled, shaking Vince's hand, before turning to Bollo and extending a greeting.

"You're a shaman, then?" Vince asked in a knowing sort of way, and the Doctor shook his head.

"No, I'm a time lord. Quite a bit different." He corrected, not wanting to delve into the matter.

After all, certain other questions tended to be asked after he explained what he was, and he didn't like talking about how his people and planet were gone.

How he was the last of his kind.

"He's going to help us get Howard back to normal." Naboo told Vince and Bollo. "Along with anyone else who's been cursed."

"How's that, then? The entire city's gone bananas." Vince asked, perplexed.

With the awful things that were happening, he had begun to wonder if Howard was still alive.

The death toll had begun to rise, according to the news.

"I don't know just yet, but it's early." The Doctor admitted.

"He's good; if anyone can put things back to normal, it's him." Naboo told them, not doubting the Doctor's keen ability to solve such problems. "Now, I want you and Bollo to stay in here until things have been fixed. There's nothing you can do, anyway."

"Come on, Naboo, there must be something we can do." Vince replied, needing to do something to occupy himself.

The Doctor surveyed Vince consideringly. "You look like a man of fashion." He stated, noting the details of Vince's outfit.

"I try." Vince said, appreciating the compliment.

 

The Doctor reached into his pocket and took out a key, handing it to Vince. "Tell you what, I've got loads of extra clothes and things in the fifth room on your left, sixth floor. Rather than come with us and be bored, why not stay here and check it out?"

Vince had to admit this sounded tempting. The Doctor was about his height and build, so the fit ought to be pretty close.

"Well, if you're sure there's nothing I can do to help." Vince said, feeling excited at what might await him in that room.

"Positive." The Doctor told him, and Vince closed his fingers around the key.

"Right, then I guess I'll stay here." Vince said, as Bollo sat on the floor.

"Don't go exploring or nothing, and leave the knobs, buttons and levers alone." Naboo ordered them.

"We're not children, Naboo, you don't have to go telling us that sort of stuff." Vince said, feeling a hint offended.

"Yeah, well, until you prove otherwise, yes, I do." Naboo retorted, before he and the Doctor left the TARDIS.

Naboo looked up at the Doctor. "You keep your wardrobe in a locked room?" He asked, wondering at this.

After all, the Doctor he'd known had cared little for changes of clothing, generally wearing a single outfit.

"Not really, the lock's been broken for ages." The Doctor answered with a shrug. "I only thought that the key would add a bit of mystery and appeal."

 

 

 

The Doctor scanned one of the cursed with his sonic screwdriver, and he learned that whatever was causing the problem happened to be organic.

They went undetected thanks to wearing a small piece of the TARDIS, which more or less cloaked them, making them practically invisible.

It wasn't so much an actual curse, as an alien parasite hijacking the brain.

On its own planet, it would comandeer only simple rodents without the host realising a thing.

 

Unfortunately, as the parasite attached itself to humans, it mutated and a foreign chemical was introduced to the body.

This produced terrible rages in most, as well as uninhibited behaviour, and other reactions.

The Doctor thought hard, working on a way to detatch the parasites without killing them and leaving the humans unscathed.

He'd come across something similar in the past, but it was a terribly long time ago.

"What is it?" Naboo asked, noting the look of frustration on the Doctor's face as he accessed his memory banks.

"It's not a curse, it's a parasite, one that's causing intense anger in these people." He explained, rubbing his eyes. "I think I know how to stop them, but I've gone and forgotten it..."

Naboo ducked out of the way as one of the affected ambled past, nearly bumping into him.

"OH!" The Doctor cried excitedly, before shaking his head miserably. "I almost had it there..."

Naboo watched the destruction in front of them sadly. "If they're parasites, can't we use some sort of spray?" He inquired.

 

Before the Doctor could answer, Saboo and Dennis popped up to their right.

"That was an awfully long moment, Naboo." Dennis stated in annoyance, looking cross.

Saboo said nothing, waiting to take his cue from the head shaman.

The Doctor reached out and touched them both as a few of the cursed began coming over.

Dennis was taken aback. "Touching the garments of a shaman like this is a travesty, I will have you know." He stated disapprovingly, ready to remove his arm from the Doctor's grip.

"Unless you want to be like the rest of those people out there, I suggest you stay close and keep contact with me." The Doctor advised quietly, giving a brief explanation.

"Who is this strange man?" Dennis demanded of Naboo.

"I'm the Doctor, and I'm here to save the planet from a parasitic invasion." The bow tied man answered.

"Parasites?" Saboo asked, thinking this quite odd. "I think you'll find you are mistaken; what we're dealing with is a gypsy's curse."

"Bloodmoon leaf extract!" The Doctor ejaculated, slapping his forehead. "Of course, how could I have forgotten?"

Saboo didn't seem to like the Doctor. "Yes, quite." He replied, brushing off the Doctor's words. "Anyway, Naboo, we've found a spell that might work, but it takes three of us to perform it. Tony's stomachs are acting up and he's unable to take part, so it falls to you to take up the slack."

"Except that the Doctor's right; what we've got are parasites, not a curse." Naboo pointed out, not wanting to waste any more time.

Dennis scoffed. "Parasites..."

"Exactly." The Doctor replied seriously. "And, unless we cure these people within 72 hours, they'll all be dead. The chemical pumped in by the parasites are causing a slow but steady rise in body temperature; they'll end up being cooked to death, unless they are liberally sprayed with pure bloodmoon leaf extract."

Dennis blinked. "Naboo, how well do you know this man?"

Naboo looked to the Doctor, then to Dennis. "I know him better than half the board of shamen." He answered, and Dennis nodded.

"And, you trust him?" Dennis asked.

"With my life." Naboo replied without a hint of hesitation.

 

Dennis gave the Doctor a once over. "Fine. We will help you as we are able."

Saboo looked as though he couldn't believe his ears. "But, he's a time lord." He objected.

There had been a time when Gallifrey and half the galaxy were at odds, but that was long ago.

"Our differences must be put aside for the good of mankind, Saboo." Dennis said, remembering those days of strife. "Besides, if the legends are true, he is the last of his kind; he's hardly likely to take us on when there is little chance of his victory."

"I have no fight with you or your people." The Doctor vowed solemnly. "I never have."

 

The Doctor called the TARDIS, and it formed around them.

The Doctor dashed off to his pantry, bloodmoon blossom extract being a staple ingredient in many Gallifreyan desserts.

With the bloodmoon flower being extinct, having bloomed only in the lush meadows of Gallifrey, the Doctor had come up with a way to create more of it using some of the old batch.

This time, he'd have to mix up a much larger portion...

Carrying the small glass pitcher of extract, the Doctor sprinted past Naboo, Saboo, and Dennis, as he headed off to the swimming pool to create enough extract.

"Is he always like that?" Dennis inquired, thinking the Doctor a bizarre sort.

"Pretty much." Naboo said with a nod.

 

It hadn't taken long to create an amount of the extract large enough to fill the pool, which ought to have been enough to mist over Shoreditch.

He jogged back to the control room, explaining the plan at a mile a minute.

"Hang on to something." Naboo told the shamen, as the TARDIS started moving.

Saboo hadn't reacted quickly enough, and had been flung to the wall where he stuck halfway up, looking quite unhappy about it.

The Doctor began spraying the city, and the inhabitants began coming back to themselves.

If an infected person was to touch a misted one, the extract would cure them, too.

Just to be certain, the Doctor covered the city twice.

Once he had finished, he landed the TARDIS in front of the Nabootique.

 

After an inspection of the city, the Doctor was satisfied that everyone was now safe.

They'd found Howard sitting on a bench at a bus stop in front of a grocery store, looking awfully confused.

Naboo had gone over, and explained what had happened.

Howard couldn't recall any of it, and Naboo thought it for the best.

 

The parasites could be seen hovering in thick purple clouds.

The Doctor took out a jar, which held a non-descript morsel of something within it.

This attracted the parasites, and they all flew into the jar (which had the same paradox as the TARDIS).

"I'll take these little guys back to their home." He said, pocketing the small jar.

Dennis was impressed. "Well done, Doctor." He congratulated with a smile. "Perhaps you would be interested in becoming an honorary shaman?"

The Doctor returned the smile, complimented by the offer.

Naboo thought this to be a great idea. Even Saboo agreed.

"You did save the planet, you deserve some sort of award." Saboo said, his view of the Doctor having changed since their initial meeting.

The Doctor gave a small laugh.

If only they had known how many times he'd saved the earth already, let alone how many other planets... Not that he did it for any sort of reward.

He wasn't entirely sure why he did it, to be honest. But, still, that's what his life had turned out to be, and he would continue on in that vein.

Dennis clapped him on the back. "We shall feast and celebrate in your name."

Naboo gave him an encouraging look.

The Doctor accepted.

 

 

Back on the TARDIS, Naboo and Howard had discovered Vince and Bollo in the Doctor's massive room of clothes.

Vince had been bedecked in what was quite possibly the gaudiest outfit combination that could have been made from the options available, while Bollo was dressed like Elton John circa 1976.

Vince had rushed over in relief, hugging Howard tightly.

"Ugh, you're all sticky..." Vince said in disgust, shrinking away.

"Come on, let's get you a nice, hot shower." Naboo told Howard, taking him to the nearest bathroom.

 

 

 

After everyone was rested and clean, the Doctor took them all to where he'd found Naboo.

The shamen set about returning the now curse-free humans to their respective homes before the party commenced, and as was customary, they had it large.

The Doctor had been dressed in new clothes; a long golden robe with purple accents, and a matching cape. Naboo had fashioned him a turban like his own, which the Doctor had proudly worn.

The Doctor hadn't meant to partake, but had consumed a cocoanut drink which had been dosed with E.

Before long, he was dancing and singing like never before. He and Vince had even sung a duet of 'Dancing Queen'.

After that, he couldn't remember much more.

 

 

 

They had needed a couple of days rest after the exuberant celebrations which had lasted quite some time, leaving them all weary but feeling wonderful.

Naboo had invited the Doctor to stay with him at the shop for a while, disliking the idea of his good friend traveling alone as he had been.

Being alone like that brought out the worst in the Doctor, and it was easy to see that he'd been isolated for too long once again.

Despite his loneliness, the Doctor had turned down the kind offer, making Naboo worry.

"I'm afraid I can't." The Doctor had replied, knowing that staying wouldn't ease the situation.

While he wouldn't be alone, he would feel stuck in one place, and that was unbearable.

"At least come and see the shop, I think you'd like it." Naboo tried to sway him, knowing that once the Doctor's mind was set that it rarely changed.

The Doctor gave a small nod. "Oh, all right. But, I can't stay long..."

Naboo smiled. "I understand."

And, with that, Naboo, Vince, Howard, Bollo, and the Doctor bid the shamen adeiu, stepping into the TARDIS and leaving.

 

 

 

The Doctor had appreciated the shop; all of its bits and bobs, the various rooms, the comfortable atmosphere.

If he was one to stay in one spot long enough, it was a place he would have liked to call home.

Naboo had been greatly pleased that the Doctor had liked it so much.

But, as the Doctor had said, he hadn't intended to stay long and was soon ready to leave after a cup of tea.

"Wait, please." Naboo pleased, getting to his feet from the dining room table. "I've got something for you."

The Doctor wondered what it could be.

"I won't be a minute." Naboo said, leaving the room.

Before he'd left to deliver that potion to Dennis, a letter had arrived to let him know that a very special parcel had arrived for him on Gailtan, a planet located sixteen light years to the direct left of the earth's sun.

A parcel which he would now gift to his good friend.

Naboo had quickly transported to the nearly empty post office of Gailtan, producing his notification and ID, and recieving a box that was nearly too large and heavy for him to carry alone.

Of course, with his method of travel this time, it wasn't too much of a problem.

He vanished from the post office, reappearing back in the dining room.

Naboo gestured to the box, thinking it good fortune for the parcel to have arrived in allignment with meeting the Doctor again.

The Doctor considered the gift, thanking Naboo, who watched tentatively while the Doctor opened it.

The lid was removed, and the Doctor looked into the container in surprise and uncertainty.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to keep it." Naboo told the Doctor, who reached in and lifted a large mutt out of the box.

It wagged its tail happily, licking at the hands that suspended it in midair.

"He's very rare; I got him off an old mate of mine, owed me a favour." Naboo explained, not sure whether this was going well or not. "That dog is one of only twenty-seven canines of its kind, a new breed. It lives precisely as long as its owner."

The Doctor looked over at Naboo, knowing that they both shared the same crux of such longevity.

In fact, Naboo was only a few centuries younger than the Doctor.

He, too, had lost many friends over time.

It was little wonder why he'd seek out such an animal.

"I think that perhaps you would be able to give him a much better home than I ever could, Naboo." The Doctor admitted, thinking it wouldn't be a suiting life for a dog to live aboard the TARDIS.

He wouldn't feel right about bringing an animal like that out when he ended up finding himself in trouble so often. It would be cruel.

Naboo looked incredulous. "What are you talking about? You're very caring, take great care with your friends, and have loads of space."

The Doctor would have very much liked to take this lovely dog, which seemed to enjoy his company as well...

"Go on, he's yours." Naboo stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think you'll suit one another. Besides, you need company, if only a beast."

The Doctor couldn't argue this.

He was touched by such heartfelt generosity.

The Doctor sat down on the floor, the dog settling itself in his lap contentedly as it lapped at his face.

The Doctor grinned, rubbing the dog's ears. "Thank-you, Naboo."

 

Soon enough, the Doctor departed, thanking Naboo once more for his new friend upon whom he had bestowed the name 'Solstice'.

Naboo would have been glad had the Doctor stayed on a while, but knowing that he wouldn't be alone was a comfort.

With all of the excitement seemingly over, it was back to business for Naboo, Vince, Bollo, and Howard.

 

"Cup of tea, anyone?" Naboo asked, and Howard responded with his usual 'if you're having one', making Naboo roll his eyes in mild annoyance.

Yes, with that, he knew that things were certainly back to normal.


End file.
